Best Friends Forever
by Jing269
Summary: Demeter and Bombalurina know their friendship is strong, but is it strong enough to stand up to this new threat?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my first CATS fanfic!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CATS. Sadly. :'(**

* * *

"Oi!" The guard rat shouted at her. "Wha' ah ya doin' 'ere?! This 'ere be Jellicle Prope'ty!"

"I am a Jellicle," she said in a voice that could freeze a desert.

"Shore, ya ah! An' so am Oi!"

"I do not have time for this. Let me through, vermin, or I shall hurt you."

"Hur' _me_?! Ya off yoire rocka, laidy! Jus' cuz Oi'm a ra' don't mean Oi ca-"

He never finished the sentence. She had silenced him.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Elders were having their monthly meeting…

_The meeting room _

"… as I was saying, I do think that we should give the kittens a better education." Jennyanydots sat down, done speaking.

"Jenny, while I agree that they should get an education, don't you think one year old is too soon?" Jellylorum, another elder, spoke up with a skeptical look on her face.

"Jelly, if we wait any longer, they will get too used to their carefree lifestyle! I have seen that happen many times already. We nee-"

"Now, now ladies. We will put this topic on hold for now," Munkustrap, the youngest Elder in a century, said. Jenny and Jelly sat down. "Now, I want to discuss the guard rats we have recently begun using. I know it was my idea, but I think some of them have begun to shirk their work. Also, more than one of them have been targeted by the neighborhood Pollicles."

"Don't worry, Munkustrap. We completely expected them to shirk their work, which is why we have ordered a big shipment of cheese." Asparagus, one of Munku's good friends, said. "We will tell them that they will all get a piece of cheese for every day they behave. Skimble, when will the cheese arrive?"

"It's expected to come either tonight or tomorrow night," Said Skimble in his distinct Scottish accent **(A/N Sorry, I don't know how to write a Scottish accent. Can anyone show me?) **

"Excellent. But what if they try to steal the cheese?"

Asparagus smiled. "Ever heard of a mousetrap? Turns out it works on rats, too."

"Well, well, Asparagus. Looks like you did a fair bit of planning on this."

"I just don't trust rats."

"Neither do I"

_Outside the meeting room_

Tumblebrutus chewed absently on a stick of beef jerky while he guarded the meeting room. He hoped to become an Elder someday too, which was why he had agreed to guard the place. However, he had been disappointed. He had hoped to listen in on the conversation, but the Elders talked very quietly, and the parts he could hear made no sense to him. Sighing, he finished the jerky and got another one from his pocket. Right then, however, he saw a queen he had never seen before come in. She had black, white, and gray fur. The more he saw her, the more she resembled Bombalurina, except for the colors. Finally, she made her way to him and smiled.

"Hello," the queen said with a smile.

"H-hello, can I help you?"

"Actually, yes. I want to join the Jellicle Tribe."

"Y-You do?"

"Yes."

"Oh. O-Okay, hold on, let me get Munkustrap. He's our Protector." Tumblebrutus ran into the meeting room and dragged Munkustrap out.

"Tumble! What are you doing, we were discussing something important!"

"There's a queen outside that wants to join the Tribe! What do I do?!"

"Join the Tribe? What's her name?"

"I-I don't know! Was I supposed to ask her?! Dangit, why can't I do anything right?!"

"Whoa, calm down, Tumble, calm down! It's okay, you did a good job in coming to me about this, instead of trying to handle it yourself, like Tugger did. We lost seven potential Jellicles because of that."

"O-Okay. So what do we do?"

"We're gonna have to gather the tribe. Spread the word to meet around the TSE1 in 5 minutes."

"Okay!" Tumblebrutus ran off to spread the word. Meanwhile, Munkustrap went outside to greet the new queen.

"Why, hello there," The new queen smiled at Munku. "I suppose that other kitten told you why I was here?"

"Yes, he did. What is your name?"

"My name? Sephra."

* * *

_In front of the TSE1 _

"Settle, settle!" Munkustrap yelled from the top of the TSE1 to no avail.

"Let me try," Tugger took his brother's place and screamed at the top of his lungs, "SHUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!"

The Tribe quieted down.

"Ahem, thank you," The silver tabby said, his face burning with embarrassment. "Now, as most of you have probably seen, we have a visitor. Sephra, please." Munkustrap motioned toward the TSE1.

"Thank you." Sephra muttered.

"Sephra, to be accepted into the Tribe, you have to answer a couple questions. Ready?" Sephra nodded. "Excellent. Now, what does it mean to be a Jellicle?"

Sephra smiled. She knew this. "Feline, fearless, faithful, and true."

"Correct. Second question. Well, actually, this isn't really much of a question than it is a vow. If you are accepted into the Tribe, you must swear to go by the Jellicle Laws. Not doing this will result in exile. Do you swear?"

"I swear."

"Congratulations. You're in."

The Tribe burst into cheers. Everyone was happy to have a new member, especially after Tugger had chased away the last seven.

Everyone except Bombalurina. For some reason, she had a bad feeling about this queen. Maybe it was the way she had looked right at Bombie when she was on the TSE1. Maybe it was their unnerving resemblance. Maybe it was just because she hadn't had much to eat today. Either way, she had a bad feeling. And she didn't trust this queen. Not at all. On the other hand, everyone else was having a great time, so Bombie should be happy too, right?

Right?

* * *

**So whatcha guys think? **

**If anyone was wondering where I got Sephra's name from, I got "Seph" from Persephone, the daughter of Demeter in Greek mythology, and "ra" from the Egyptian god.**

**R&R! ;D **


	2. Chapter 2

**Sigh… I'm working on other fics right now… I shouldn't be writing this… But the others aren't even CATS fics, so I guess it's okay. ;D**

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Sephra became instant friends with Demeter. Nowadays, when Demeter wasn't with Bombalurina, she was with Sephra. For a second, Bombie resented Sephra for this. However, she caught herself and felt bad. After all, Demeter just got a new friend, Bombie should be happy for her. She knew that Demeter didn't have a lot of friends. It wasn't that she was unpopular, not at all. Everyone in the Tribe liked her. It was just that Demeter had trouble making actual friends. Bombie had Demeter, Cassandra, Exotica, the toms, and, to an extent, Tantomile. Demeter, however, had only Bombie and Munkustrap. She didn't even have a mate. Bombie at least had Tugger, although he wasn't a very faithful mate. Still, he was better than nothing, which was what Demeter had.

After this thought, Bombie decided to accept Sephra as Demeter's friend. However, that didn't mean she was Bombie's friend. Far from it, Bombie could tell that Sephra hated her with a passion. She had no idea why, but nevertheless, she returned the hate with enthusiasm.

Right then, Sephra happened to be walking in front of the TSE1, where Bombie was sitting. Of course, she _had_ to glare at Bombie while she passed. Bombie rolled her eyes. Why couldn't she just leave her alone long enough to walk past?! Sighing, she got up and walked toward her den. Something was telling her that she had just made a very bad enemy.

* * *

Sephra walked across Bombalurina's line of sight, glaring at her as she passed. Of _course_ the little princess wouldn't like anything disturbing her perfect view. Just another part of her perfect life, with her perfect mate and her perfect friends, and right in the middle of this perfect life was her perfect self. Right when she thought this, of course, the princess rolled her eyes, which made Seph's temper flare up tenfold. Luckily, she managed to keep in it check. _You have a mission. Don't get distracted by that spoiled brat._ Repeating this thought over and over in her mind, Sephra made her way to Demeter, who was lying on a sunny rock.

"Hey."

"Hey! What's up?"

"Nothing. I-I just… Demeter, if someone was talking bad about me, you would tell me, right?"

"Of course."

"We-well then, I guess I should tell you…"

"Tell me what?"

"I-I just…"

"Spit it out, Seph!"

"I-I…" Sephra took a deep breath, "I overheard Bombalurina talking bad about you!"

Demeter was silent. Her face was expressionless and her breathing was short.

"De-Dem?"

When she finally spoke, her voice was a whisper, "What did she say?"

"Sh-she said that you… th-that you… remember, Dem, I didn't say this, okay?"

Demeter nodded.

Sephra let the next sentence out in a single breath, "She said that, even though the tribe loved you and all that, you didn't have many friends and that you had trouble making them and you don't even have a mate even though you became of age like two years ago."

Demeter didn't move, but her eyes went downward and her shoulders slumped.

"Dem, I'm sorry. I don't know why Bombalurina thinks that, she's wrong, okay? You have great friend-making skills, and you'll get a really good mate someday, because you waited. Okay? Dem, please cheer up."

Demeter managed a small smile. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "No, Seph. Bombie's probably right. I'm way too anti-social for my age, and I should have a mate by now. I'm sure Bombie's just worried about me."

Sephra tried hard not to gape as she said, "So… that's it?! You're not even mad?! Bombalurina practically insulted you, and you think she's worried about you?! Wake up, Demeter! _She's not worried about you._ She's just worried about her reputation as the Tribe Seductress. After all, how many Seductresses hang out with friendless, anti-social cats? _None._ None, Dem. None."

Demeter was on the verge of tears by now. "You're wrong, Seph. If it were anyone else, I would definitely believe you, but I know Bombie wouldn't do that. We've been friends too long. She wouldn't betray our friendship after this long."

Sephra couldn't believe it. After all the stuff she had just told her, Demeter still believed that the princess cared about her?! Feeling as though she had failed, she said, "Just remember, Dem. People, and that includes cats, can change."

Sephra turned around and left. Demeter allowed a single tear to fall down her cheek.

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**It didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to, but it's good enough, I guess. ;D**

**R&R!!! I'll be your friend~~! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hehe thanks to Malurina my number one fan. Don't worry, it's a lot happier today. ;D **

**Note: I'm too lazy to find out the relationship between human and feline years, so just imagine that Jellicles live in human years, mmk?**

**Hope you like it!**

**Chappie 3 ;D**

* * *

It was time to step it up a notch. Of course Demeter wouldn't believe it if she had heard it from someone else. She had to hear it from Bombalurina herself. Sephra waited until that night, then she stole something called a "tape recorder" and went back into the Tribe. The next day, at the time that little prissy and all her friends go to their little secret place at the corner of the junkyard, Sephra asked if she could join them. The naïve fools agreed and took her with them.

She knew that the queens took this time to gossip about anyone and everyone in the Tribe, and Sephra was proud to find out that Bombalurina had the loosest tongue. This would be easier than she expected. In fact, today seemed to be her lucky day. Demeter did not join them for their gossip session, so it was just Sephra, Cassandra, Exotica, and Bombalurina. Perfect. She took a deep breath and spoke for the first time since she had come.

"Hey guys?"

Exotica was the only one to respond, "Yeah?"

"I have something to say."

Cassandra smiled, "Then say it, honey. That's the whole point of our gatherings. To say stuff. About other cats, of course."

Sephra smiled. That was practically an invitation! "Well, I have some worries about… Demeter."

Bombalurina's ears instantly perked up. Sephra couldn't believe she was eager to hear some dirt on her closest friend! She subconsciously patted the tape recorder she had taped to her side, just tight enough to be hidden in darkness as long as she slouched a bit all the time. It had been recording this whole conversation.

"Well… Bomba, you said that you and Demeter had a dangerous brush with a wild Pollicle, and that's why she's so shy and high-strung now, right?" Bombalurina nodded. "Well if that's true, shouldn't _you_ be shy and high-strung, too?" After Sephra finished, she waited, hoping she would take the bait. When Bombalurina didn't move, she continued.

"So… I think she's making it all up. I think she's just faking the whole thing. I mean, come on! There's no way she could get that shy after a Pollicle attack!" And in this fashion, Sephra rambled on, blissfully unaware of Bombalurina's gently strengthening glare, until she was practically glowering at her and Sephra could no longer remain unaware. As innocent as possible, she asked, "Why, what's wrong, Bombie?"

After a deafening silence, Bombalurina shouted, "Are you _trying_ to get me mad?!"

"What?! What are you talking about?!"

At this point, Bombalurina took a deep breath, then said, "There are just so many things wrong with what you just said. First of all, Demeter is a full five years younger than me, so she was only twelve when it happened. Second, Demeter was always a fidgety child, she couldn't even watch a horror movie until she was sixteen!! And third, you _sicken_ me. You just SICKEN ME!!!!!"

With that, Bombalurina stormed off, leaving a stunned Cassandra and Exotica, and a pouting Sephra. _So I'll have to go from a different angle… I tried betrayal of friendship, but what about… betrayal of love?_ It took all of Sephra's willpower to swallow down the evil grin that threatened to erupt on her face. Now the real game began. One more thing, though. What was she going to do when her humans find out that she stole their tape recorder?

* * *

First step. Find the targets.

It was obvious that Demeter and Munkustrap were smitten with each other, but Bombalurina was a different story. After all, she flirted with each tom daily. She seemed to have no particular interest. But she had one. Everyone had one, and Sephra would find hers, no matter how long it took. This step of the process could take several days to weeks. Sephra had to carefully monitor Bombalurina's-ugh-_flirting_ to see who she flirted with the most. While doing this, she also practiced for the Jellicle Ball on the sidelines.

You see, every Jellicle has a trademark move or pose. Unless you are a twin, each one is unique. Tugger had his "Elvis" moves. Munku had his "leader pose". Even Bombalurina had that "prostitute-cough cough-I mean…sexy" look. After a couple days of experimenting, they found Sephra's. It was a simple move, widely imitated by the females of the Tribe and, on one occasion, Rum Tum Tugger. All Sephra did was move her *ahem* _bottom_ in a sexy circular way. Simple, but unique. Inwardly, Sephra wondered if she should be practicing for the Ball, seeing as how her mission might be over by that time. However, she did love to dance, so she practiced. And practiced. And practiced. And practiced, all the while watching Bombalurina flirt.

Finally, she came to a conclusion. It was between Alonzo, Pouncival, and Tugger. She could count Alonzo out, since he was already with Cassandra and Bombalurina was smarter than to target him. So Pouncival and Tugger. Wouldn't Pouncival be pedophilia? After all, he wasn't even of age yet. However, Sephra had seen Pouncival practice. He was like Rum Tum Tugger Jr. He know how to move just like Tugger, and he did it well. Out of all the Tugger admirers, Pouncival was the most likely to actually become similar to him. He was a kitten, but quickly growing, and if Bombie wanted him, she only had to wait a year. Ugh…why was this so hard?! Tugger? Pounce? Tugger? Pounce? She honestly didn't know. Was she safe enough to ask Bombalurina herself?

_ No,_ said her inner voice, the one that was always right. Sephra rolled her eyes. So inner voice, what should I do? _Ask Demeter, dummy._ Inwardly, Sephra smacked herself. Why didn't she think of that?!?!

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**You see, the chapter's mood all depends on my mood… so this week, I was happy, but last week I was emo! 8D**

**R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R!!!!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Again, thanks to Malurina and all my other readers!!**

**And yes, I know I'm good. Haha just kidding. ;D**

**Chappie whatever ;D**

* * *

The next day, she went to Demeter. Luckily, Bombalurina had chosen not to tell Demeter about the gossip session that day, probably to protect her. What an idiot. That was a fatal mistake. When she got to Demeter's den, she immediately pasted an innocent and curious expression on her face. Bast, she was a good actress. She knocked on the entrance and immediately, there was a distant "Come in!!"

So she went in. As soon as she walked in, Sephra was hit by the smell of baking tuna. Oh, the smell! Half high on tuna smell, she staggered to the mini couch Demeter had in her den. This was not good. She had only been here for a minute, and she was already unarmed and vulnerable. Sephra almost laughed at the thought of what he might have done if he could see her. Oh wait. That wasn't a funny thought. Finally, after another 5 minutes of baking, Demeter came out, holding a big tray of tuna cookies**(A/N Kinda like chocolate chip in human)** and set them down on the table. Instantly, Sephra stuffed two in her mouth. Simultaneously.

"Hey, slow down, you," Demeter gently scolded Sephra. "They aren't going to run away."

"So gooooood," Sephra cooed. She couldn't help it! Demeter was the best cook in the Tribe. Her salmonburgers**(A/N human: cheeseburgers)** brought cats from all over, even outside the Tribe. Every year, after the Jellicle Ball, Demeter always cooked a huge feast for the whole Tribe. With some help of course. Cooking a feast for a Jellicle Tribe singlehandedly is impossible.

After about a minute of silence, the only sound being chewing, Sephra finally spoke up.

"I noticed you missed last week's gossip session."

"Yeah…I was busy. Did you go?"

"Yeah. We talked about a lot of nothing, though. So, I was thinking…"

"Oh no."

"Don't worry! It's not bad! Anyway, it's unfair that you missed the session, so let's have our own session, right here!"

"Right now?"

"Yeah! Why not?"

"Well, it's not really as fun with just two people…"

"Don't worry, it'll be just as fun, I'll make it fun."

Demeter sighed. "Okay, if you insist. What do you wanna talk about?"

"Let's talk about… toms."

"Okay. Do you have anyone in mind?"

"Well, I've always kind of admired Alonzo…"

"Alonzo? No way, he's forbidden territory. Cassandra would have a hissy fit."

"I know. That's why I admire him from _afar_, Dem."

"Anyone else?"

"I don't know. Plato is always nice to me, but he's so young."

"He's coming of age this month."

"Well, so is Victoria, and it's so obvious they like each other."

"Yeah, everyone seems to be taken. Alonzo has Cassandra, Admetus is with Exotica, Plato will eventually get Victoria, and Coricopat is… weird. What about Mungojerrie?"

"Ugh, his eyes are freakishly big, his ears are too small, and for some reason he always smells like rotten spaghetti."

"Wow, I didn't know you were so observant."

"Ha, thanks. Now, enough about me. What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Do you like anyone?"

"I've always admired Munkustrap…"

Sephra smiled. Of course she already knew this. "Really?"

"Yeah, he's just so…kind, and…" Demeter's face turned soft, a light smile on her face.

"You must really like him."

"I do."

Sephra gulped. This was the most important part. "Well, what about…Bombalurina? Does she like anyone?"

"Bombie, I don't know…she just likes toms in general."

"Well, does she like anyone in particular?"

"I don't know, maybe Rum Tum Tugger?"

"Really? What about Pouncival?"

"Pouncival…well, he's more like a minor interest for her."

"Oh…so she doesn't really like him?"

"No, not really."

"Oh." Sephra pretended to start. "What time is it?"

"Um, seven o' clock."

"Holy tuna, I'm late! I'm sorry, I have to go!"

"Oh, it's okay."

"Bye!!" Sephra said as she left out the door.

"Bye! See you tomorrow!"

As she walked out, Sephra smiled. Now was just the beginning.

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**Sorry it was so short!! I had a drama production!! I promise the next one will be longer!!**

**R&R&tuna!!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, I'm gonna go to Japan/Korea in a little while for Christmas Break, and I won't have any internet. So, I won't be able to update for about two~three weeks. I made this chapter extra long just for that!**

**Chapter…5? I FORGET!!!!**

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The next week, the Tribe had their monthly field trip. Every month, Munkustrap brought the Tribe to a place outside the junkyard. This month, they went to a shallow lake(more like a water hole) in the wild, surrounded by small hills(in other words, bumps) so it was invisible from humans. Of course(for the adults especially), it was about four miles away and it took _forever_ to walk there. But when they saw the kittens so happy playing in the shallow water, and they felt the sun on their backs as they stretched out on one of the hills, it was all worth it.

It was worth it for Sephra too. She was sitting next to Bombalurina on one of the hills. Luckily, Bombalurina had cooled down enough to let her sit there. As she was pretending to stretch, Sephra surveyed her position. She was leaning back, supporting herself with her paws. Her right paw was right behind the small of Bombalurina's back. Perfect.

"Bombalurina, do you think Munkustrap is cute?"

Bombalurina ignored her. Sephra frowned. She would have to use magic. Focusing all of her limited magical powers onto her right hand, Sephra cast a light spell of annoyance at Bombalurina. Just enough to make her answer her questions. It worked. Instantly, Bombalurina whipped her head around to glare at Sephra before answering, "None of your business."

"Oh? But he's so…handsome," Sephra purred. For once, Bombalurina had no answer. She could not say that he was not handsome, but she could not say he was handsome, or she would be agreeing with Sephra. Torn, she just shrugged.

Sephra smiled. This was getting interesting. "So…have you ever made a move on Munkustrap? I mean, you are the Tribe Seductress."

"Munkustrap is off limits. He's the Protector."

"So? Are you worried that you might distract him or something?"

"No, it's just that…"

"Maybe…you don't think you can do it?"

At this, Bombalurina glared at Sephra. "I can get any male I want."

"Really? Even Munkustrap?"

"Anyone."

"Prove it."

A pause. "Is that a challenge?"

"What do you think it is?"

Another pause. In Bombalurina's thoughts, a huge argument was going on. One part wanted to do it just to prove Sephra wrong, one part knew it was wrong because she knew Demeter liked Munkustrap. And the third part, the one influenced by Sephra's magic, was trying to crush the other two parts down and make Bombalurina do it. Eventually, the third part won. Bombalurina got up, glared at Sephra one last time, and went over to Munkustrap, who was resting on a hill. Sephra followed.

When Bombalurina got to Munkustrap, the first thing she did was put her arm on his shoulder and lightly stroked his cheek with a claw. Munkustrap looked at her like she had grown an extra head. At this moment, Sephra decided to intervene. From behind, she cast a spell of infatuation over both of them, targeted at the first person they see. It went downhill from there. Before long, they were both flirting with each other, acting like schoolkittens.

Demeter, who was sunning herself by the water, was currently talking with Jellylorum about something. Sephra made her way over to her and tapped her shoulder. When Demeter turned around, she could see Bombalurina and Munkustrap's flirting over Sephra's shoulder.

For a moment, Demeter could not believe her eyes. What was Bombie doing flirting with Munkustrap? She knew that Demeter liked him, she had told her many times. And, Bast forbid, was Munkustrap _flirting back_?! As she watched, Munkustrap did the unthinkable. He gave Bombalurina a light kiss on the cheek.

It was like one of those scenes in the dramas. Demeter's breath became short and her eyes started to get watery. Dimly, she could hear Sephra asking if she was all right, but she could not answer. Her thoughts were racing around like the kittens did when they were hyper. Once again she had lost a tom to Bombalurina. It was hopeless. How could someone like Demeter ever compete with someone like Bombie? Of course Munkustrap would choose her. It was impossible not to. What Bombalurina wants, Bombalurina gets.

In the midst of all this flirting, Munkustrap happened to glance at Demeter. Sephra(who had been watching them) chose this moment to lift the infatuation spell. Instantly, the full force of what Bombalurina and Munkustrap were doing came rushing to them, strengthened by the hurt look on Demeter's face. They quickly pulled away from each other, disgusted. However, it was too late. Demeter had already ran away, crying.

She was later found at the junkyard, crying. She had walked four miles all by herself, just to cry.

It would have been an understatement to say that Bombalurina felt horrible.

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Sephra sighed. It had been a whole week since the field trip. Demeter and Bombalurina had not yet made up, but they were on the verge of doing so. Now was a better time than any to proceed to the next step. But she was feeling so lazy!!! It was just one of those days where you didn't want to do anything. The sun was beating down, the fan was broken… the point is Sephra didn't want to do anything. She just wanted to go take a dip in an icy cold tub of water and stay there. Surely she could wait just one more day??

But the circumstances were perfect. Demeter and Tugger were both outside, lying around. Bombalurina was about to go outside in a little while. If she didn't do it now, he would get pissed. Yeah, she'd better do it now.

Slowly, she got up and went outside. Bast, it was hot. No, not hot. More like boiling, searing, blistering HOT!!! It was like waves of pure heat were assaulting Sephra's sensitive skin. Ugh, why did she have to have _fur_?! It was these moments that she really envied those humans. At least they don't have a permanent fur coat. Seriously, she was about to _die_ here!!!

Okay, maybe she was being too dramatic. But it was really hot.

When she went outside, she was surprised to find that not everyone was as affected as she was by the heat. Demeter was lying down, in deep thought. Tugger was with his usual group of admirers.

Silently, trying to conserve energy, Sephra made her way over to Tugger. Flashing a charismatic smile to the kits, she said,

"Why don't you guys go somewhere else for now? I have to discuss something with Mr. Tugger here." Pouting, the kits went over to Jelly and Jenny for their storytime.

"Why, hello there Sephra," Tugger said coyly.

Sephra returned his coy smile before saying, "Whoa there, big boy. I'm taken for the weekend. I'm just here to propose something to you." She pointed at Demeter, still deep in thought. "Demeter looks awfully sad, why don't you go comfort her?"

"What? Why? Why can't you?"

"Well, I would…but Demeter's been avoiding me for some reason. I still want to help her though, and it seems like the only person who can do that is you."

"What about Munku? Or Bombs?"

"She been avoiding all of us. Ever since the field trip."

"Oh. Yeah, I heard what had happened there."

Sephra leaned in closer. "I'm worried about her, Tugs. See those dark circles on her eyes? She hasn't been able to sleep for a while now."

Tugger gulped. Demeter was his friend, he didn't want anything to happen to her. "Okay, I'll go."

Sephra smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Tugs."

Tugger made his way over to Demeter and jokingly waved a hand over her face. He said something, to which Demeter replied melancholically**(A/N: a new word!)**. He said something else that made Demeter laugh. Right then, Sephra cast the infatuation spell over both of them. As expected, they started acting like Munkustrap and Bombalurina. Sephra increased the spell a tiny bit. That was all it needed. Pretty soon they were acting like lovesick fools, flirting and laughing. Well, more like giggling in Demeter's case.

At that moment, Bombalurina came outside. As usual, she scanned the room from right to left. That meant that Sephra was the first thing she saw, and Demeter and Tugger would be the last thing she saw. When her eyes got to them, they first narrowed, then widened as she realized what was going on. Unlike Demeter however, Bombalurina did not cry. Instead, she decided to confront them.

Powerfully, she strode over to Tugger, yanked him up by the forearm**(A/N: forepaw?)** and gave him a resounding slap that could be heard throughout the junkyard. Then she gave Demeter a withering glance, not of anger…but disappointment. Then she ran home. By this time, Sephra had already lifted the infatuation spell so Demeter could enjoy the full effect of betrayal.

They had been so close to making up.

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Later, back at home, Sephra took out the thing that he had called a "cell phone". Quickly, she dialed the number he had given her and held the device up to her ear. Two rings later, he answered.

"Hello?"

"The mission is a success. They are as apart as they will ever be."

"And no one will notice when the plan is carried out?"

"No one."

"…Excellent. Good work."

"Thank you, sir."

"I will be there by nightfall. Keep them distant until then."

"Yes sir."

"Be prepared, Sephra. This is the last and hardest step. But it will not go unrewarded. Pretty soon, both you and I will have what we want."

"Of course sir."

"See you at nightfall." He hung up.

Sephra set down the phone and smiled. Finally. Macavity was on his way.

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**Macavity?! How is he related to Sephra?! What is the final step?! Is he after Demeter, Bombalurina, or both?! And how in the world does my cell phone know when I'm in the room?! All these questions and more will be answered in the next chapter(except for the last one)!!!!!!!!**

**R&R!!!!!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sheeeeee's back!!! :D *applause track* Anyway I would have written this chapter before, but I didn't like the way it turned out so I rewrote it. Not because you know I wanted to keep you guys waiting in suspense ya know? He… hehehe… on with the story!**

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The next morning, Sephra and Demeter were gone. No one noticed.

But it wasn't because they didn't care about them. Demeter lived with Bombalurina, so there was no need to keep tabs on her. Heck, Bombalurina by herself could chase away a whole army of attackers when she was angry. As for Sephra, she disappeared regularly.

However, no one knew that Bombalurina had spent the past two nights at various toms' houses and didn't know what Demeter was doing. Or cared. So it was two days before they noticed Demeter was gone. And the one who noticed wasn't even Bombalurina or Munkustrap. It was Electra.

That day, Electra went to Bombalurina and said,

"Bombie, where's Demeter?"

For a second, Bombalurina's face darkened, but it cleared up and she said, "I don't know, Electra. And I don't care. Maybe she's with _Tugger_. Or maybe even _Pouncival_."

Electra wrinkled her brow. She had never know that Bombie liked Pouncival. Or that Demeter liked both Tugger and Pouncival. But she didn't worry. Tugger was in love with Etcetera anyway.

With the careless manner of a kit, Electra said, "But I went to her den and found this note!" She held up a note.

Bombie took it. Instantly, she knew it was serious. This handwriting was not Demeter's. Or Sephra. Or even anyone in the Tribe. Quickly, she scanned the contents, her anxiety increasing with every word. Finally, she got to the end.

"No…" she whispered. "This is bad. I have to tell Munku!" She ran off.

Electra stared after her in stunned silence. "She didn't even say bye…"

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"MUNKU!!!!!!!" Bombie shouted when she got to his den. She could hear a loud crash from inside. Probably Munku dropping whatever he had been doing.

Munku appeared, an annoyed expression on his face. "What now, Bombalurina?! I dropped my paperwork!"

Bombie grabbed Munkustrap's shoulders, and shouted, "HOW CAN YOU JOKE?!?! DEMETER'S GONE!!!!"

Munku frowned. "What?! What do you mean?! Demeter's not gone, we would know if she was!"

"Oh really?! Then look at this note!" Bombie shoved the note in Munku's face, far too close for him to read it. Confused, he grabbed the note and read it:

_Dear Bombalurina,_

_ You probably don't remember me, but I know you from when you were young. After all, I used to be a part of your Tribe. Unfortunately, I was exiled for practicing illegal magic. But even after I left, I kept tabs on the Tribe. I knew, no, I know everything about every member. And I have always had my eye on a particular pair of best friends. That's right, I'm talking about you and Demeter. However, you were too strong, too independent. So I chose Demeter. At the moment, I am keeping her at my warehouse, guarded by my personal henchrats. _

_ But I am not content with only one. So I decided to play a little game. With you. I will give you a chance to rescue Demeter. If you do, then I will let both of you run away, free of resistance. But if you cannot, then both of you will stay at my warehouse and become my personal servants. Do not bother trying to refuse, because I know you would not. Your bond with Demeter is much too strong. Go ahead and bring the whole Tribe to help you if you wish. But keep in mind: whoever comes with you will also suffer the same punishment you will. _

_ It's a risky gamble, I know. But if you need any more persuasion, consider this: Sephra will be there. And I know you want revenge. _

_ Best regards, Macavity._

Munku gulped. Bombalurina waited impatiently for him to finish. Finally, he cleared his throat once and said,

"You can't do this Bombalurina."

"I can and I will. Dem's in danger and it's my fault."

"Your fault? What do you mean?"

"It's all so clear Munku. Sephra was sent here by Macavity to split me and Dem. Divide and conquer. And now that we're apart, Macavity took her. It's all my fault. If I hadn't fallen for Sephra's traps so many times, Demeter would still be here."

"No…" Munku said in a soothing voice. "Don't blame yourself, Bombalurina."

Bombalurina sniffed, barely keeping her tears at bay. She took a deep breath and nodded. "This is no time to be sad. We have to get Dem. I don't know what Macavity's doing to her right now, but I doubt it's good. We have to hurry. Gather the strongest toms in the Tribe, including yourself. We got a prisoner to rescue."

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**Sorry I just had to do it. :D I just can't imagine Bombalurina being kidnapped. She's just too strong. Anyway, I hope you liked it and expect some action next chapter!!! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry it took so long!!!!! My computer was messed up for a while and couldn't receive internet.**

**Chapter… rescue!!! Enjoy :D:D:D:D:D**

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Bombalurina peeked around the corner of Macavity's warehouse. Behind her, Munkustrap, Tugger, Alonzo, Coricopat, Misto, Tumblebrutus, and Pouncival waited with baited breath**(AN: cool it rhyyymes :D)**. Pouncival actually wasn't supposed to be there, but he had threatened to tell Jenny and Jelly, so they had to take him. Demeter had always been like a second mother to him. Jenny was always busy with the other kits, whether they were hers or not. When she wasn't doing that, she was gossiping with Jelly. The only time Pouncival had his mom all to himself was when she tucked him into bed at night. Demeter was the only one who actually took care of him, and he'd be _damned_ if he let her get taken away. Pouncival looked around and hoped no one had heard him. He wasn't allowed to cuss.

Finally, the henchrat that was guarding the door fell asleep. Just to be sure, Tugger grabbed a branch and whacked him on the head. Munku frowned. Why didn't they just do that in the first place?

Carefully, they went inside. It looked like a plain old warehouse, with one story and several construction items. However, Bombalurina could see a small staircase leading down on the other side, meaning this warehouse extended underground. Bombalurina sucked in a breath, considering her options. Finally, she turned around and whispered,

"Okay, when I say go, run like Heaviside to the door. Get rid of any resistance. Tugger, go get more of those branches."

Tugger quickly went outside, gathered seven more big branches, and gave them to the others rescuers. Bombalurina took an experimental swing. The wind whistled as she swung it. She nodded, thinking of braining Macavity. She exchanged one final glance with her companions, took a deep breath, and yelled,

"GO!"

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Everyone ran like Heaviside. Rats that had been snoozing lightly jolted awake. Those that weren't immediately whacked on the head by Munkustrap fell victim to Tugger's cat-fu. A few of them made weak attempts to stop them, but all they ended up doing was falling on their faces. Finally they were at the door, sporting nothing but minor scratches. Bombalurina threw open the door and raced down the steps, three at a time. The others followed closely behind. At the bottom there was another door, which Bombalurina wrenched open. There were three paths, each leading to darkness. For a second, Bombalurina paused, weighing their options. But she could already hear the rats coming downstairs to catch them.

"Alonzo, Tumble, and Corico! Left side! Misto, Tugger, and Pounce, the right! Munku come with me! Find Dem!" Bombalurina barked. Quickly, everyone went off to their respective paths. Before going however, Munkustrap grabbed a small rickety chair and jammed it under the doorknob. That would keep them off for about two minutes.

The next ten minutes were spent opening doors and fighting off rats. Bombalurina could feel her body starting to tire, but she couldn't give up! Demeter was somewhere here, probably weak and broken. To think that she was the one to cause it… No, this was no time to think that. Demeter needed her.

As she was running down, she was suddenly stopped by a large rat, at least twice the size of a cat. He was so big all he had to do was hold out his hand and Bombalurina ran into it. In a deep voice, he boomed,

"Stop!!!!!" Bombalurina stopped. The big rat smiled. A real smile, not an "I'm-going-to-kill-you-extremely-painfully" smile. In fact, he seemed to be glad that someone had listened to him. Then he said, "Now, Oi 'ave o'ders to beat yoo goiys up and throw ya in tha dungeons."

Munkustrao and Bombalurina looked at each other.

"Oi do 'ope yoo don't take this too 'ard. Remember, it's nothin poisonal, just o'ders.**(AN: Wow, I'm REALLY bad at writing accents!)**" With that, he began to advance, pulling a crowbar out of nowhere. Bombalurina and Munkustrap began to back away, and Munkustrap muttered so that nobody but Bombalurina could hear him,

"Run. I'll fight him off."

"What?! No! You can't!"

"I can. This guy may be big, but that's all he is. I can easily beat him with pure brains. Trust me, Bombs."

"…Fine. Make sure to come back alive."

Munkustrap suddenly leaped up and clawed the rat's face. Stunned, he cried out and fell. "BOMBS! RUN!!" Munkustrap yelled. Bombalurina raced away from there as fast as she could, not looking back. Inwardly, she hoped that those words would not be the last ones she ever heard Munkustrap say.

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**And next chapter… the conflict between Bombalurina and Sephra!!!!!!! :D BWAHAHAHAHA**

**R&R!!!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the late update!!!!! My wi-fi in my house is all f***ed up. Turns out it's NOT my computer's fault. Yay! But still, I can't do smack D: **

**I had to upload this chapter at my friend's house…**

**Rawr.**

**Chapter whatev**

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Bombalurina's POV**(A/N: This part is just easier to write through a first person point of view so…)**

Keep running. Just keep running. Don't stop. Demeter's in danger. You have to save Demeter. Save Demeter. For a long time, this was the only thing running through my head. Then, Tugger came out of nowhere and bumped into me

"Oof!"

"Bombs?! Sorry! I didn't even see you!"

"Tugger?! Where did you come from?! Where's the others?!"

"The tunnel we went down branched into two more tunnels so we split up! I didn't know it was connected to this one! Where's Munku?"

"He's fighting off a big henchrat."

"What?! Is he okay?!"

"I don't know! I'm sure he's fine, he can take care of himself. Come on, we have to find Dem."

Together, we ran down the tunnel. Finally, we ran into a wide room, seemingly uninhabited. I immediately braced myself. A big empty room scared me almost more than a room full of henchrats. Then I noticed a rollie chair at the other side. It was facing opposite me.

"Hey! Who's there?!"

A deep chuckle from the chair. "Well, it looks like I've been found."

"Who are you?!" Tugger demanded.

The chair flipped around, and I could see a ginger cat sitting on it.

"I am Macavity."

If he was expecting me to be scared, he was going to be disappointed. I snorted. "A rollie chair? Really? How cheesy is that? I half expected you to be stroking some kind of animal with two differently colored eyes."

"Well, she wasn't exaggerating when she said you were sarcastic." Hearing that, I remembered why I was here.

"Where's Demeter?! And Sephra too, I have a bone to pick with her."

"Now now, patience. You'll see Demeter in a while. As for Sephra…" Then a sliding door opened off to the left. Standing in the entrance was no other than Sephra. I growled. She smirked.

"Hey, Bombie."

"Don't call me that! Only my _friends_ can call me that."

"Really? I'm not your friend?" I could see anger boiling in her eyes. She began to yell at me. "I'm not your friend?! Have you already forgotten me Bombalurina?!"

"What are you talking about?!"

Macavity smiled. "Well, this is getting interesting."

This time, Sephra was the one to growl. "I should have known. You always were the type to use people. Even back then. You were so spoiled and such a princess… and I was foolish to think that I was ever special to you."

"What are you _talking_ about?! I didn't even know you before you came to the Tribe!"

Macavity whistled, then whispered to himself, "Oh no she didn't!"

"You're so stupid Bombalurina. Or, as _I_ should call you, Rina."

Then I understood everything. Why she hated me, why she was with Macavity, why they took Demeter.

Tugger looked confused. "Bombs, why did she just call you Rina?" But I didn't hear him. I was too occupied having an epiphany.

"S-Stephie?"

Sephra then turned around and punched the wall before turning to me, "FINALLY!! For TWELVE YEARS we've been best friends!! I was your closest friend!!! We even made a promise that we would be best friends FOREVER!!!! Then you went to that _damned_ Jellicle Tribe and forgot me!!! Forgot ME!! Me, Stephanie!!! Your first BEST FRIEND!!!"

"No… I never forgot you, Stephie! Never!"

"Don't lie!! I saw you two years at the fish store!! I said hi to you and you just looked at me confused! You didn't remember me!"

"Bombs, what is she talking about?! What are _you_ talking about?!"

"She…she was my best friend. A long time ago. Before I joined the tribe. Her real name is Stephanie."

"And you forgot me. Left me for that little, scrawny, chicken-legged, snaggle-toothed _bitch_ Demeter!**(A/N: You know, since they're cats, bitch must be a pretty serious insult, huh?)**"

"And you…you teamed up with Macavity to take Demeter because you were angry at her for replacing you?" Tugger asked in disbelief.

"No, fool. I didn't do this to get revenge on Demeter. I did this to get revenge on Bombalurina herself. For forsaking her best friend. Her one and ONLY best friend!!"

I was speechless. All this information…it was too much for me to take. Then I remembered Macavity.

"Then what about Macavity?! How do you know him?"

"I met him in a local club, while playing poker with him. At some point, we started talking about the Jellicle Tribe. Then I _accidentally_ mentioned that I hated your guts. Macavity was interested immediately. We both wanted revenge. Me against you, him against the whole Tribe. We formed a plan to get you and, if possible, Demeter. We decided to change my name and put me in the Tribe. Then I was to break you and Demeter's friendship and isolate her. I was lent a bit of Macavity magic to do this. No one would notice when we kidnapped the now-alone Demeter until it was too late. Then, you would come here with a bunch of other Jellicles, and we would kill all of you. Then, we would go over to the now weakened Tribe and kill the rest of them."

"…You know you just told me your whole plan?"

"It doesn't matter. It's too late anyway."

"Where's Demeter. Tell me now." I wasn't asking her this, I was demanding it.

Macavity answered. "She's…in a bad place. Trust me when I say that she will never be the same after this."

Sephra decided to add onto his statement. "That is, if you manage to get her out alive."

"What do you want from me?! Do you want to fight with me?! Because trust me, I will fight you."

"Oh-ho, I don't want to fight you, _Rina_. I want you to DIE!!" Then she leaped at me, pulling a knife out of nowhere.

"Bombs!" Tugger tried to stop her, but Macavity simply cast a spell on him from across the room and he was out for the count. I would have helped him, but I kinda had a knife-brandishing, insane _psychopath_ trying to kill me. Unfortunately, I was taken by surprise and was pinned down almost immediately. Sephra-no, _Stephanie_- was now looming over me, holding the knife to my throat.

"Prepare to die, old friend. It's called karma."

Then a blue lighting bolt suddenly struck her and knocked her off me. She landed on the floor. Hard. I looked at Macavity. He was standing up, his right palm outstretched and sizzling. Like he had just fired a lightning bolt out of it.

I stared at him. "Why?"

"I don't want you to die." I breathed a sigh of relief. There was always a good guy on the bad side.

"Yet."

Oh crap.

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**BWAHA cliffy!!!!!**

**I hope this chapter cleared up a lot… I know it's always confusing not knowing why so-and-so's doing this or that or blahblahblahblah**

**Now, I have to go and yell at my modem.**

**R&R!!!!!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello thereeee~**

**Yes, I'm late. Don't hit me. I break easily, I'm like a ragdoll with toothpick bones :'(**

**Lots of action this chapter to make up for the late posting :D. And yes, I'm posting this at my friend's house. Screw GTA Teleguam.**

**Okay, so when you see the star, start reading reeeaaallllyyy slowly to build up the suspense okkkk???? :)**

**Chapter whatever:**

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I looked up at Macavity's face, which was radiating malicious intent. But I wasn't scared. Trust me, when you're murderous, you don't get scared. I stared up at him evenly for a whole 15 seconds before saying in an ice-cold tone, "Why not?"

He took a deep breath and turned his head to the sky. "You know, that letter wasn't all a lie."

I felt my heart drop to my stomach.

"I really _am_ interested in you and Demeter."

To my knees.

"And yes, I am not content with one."

To my feet.

He looked at me with half-opened eyes. I never knew how terrifying helf-open eyes could be until now.

"I think you know what I did to Demeter."

To my toes…

"And I think you know…" He paused for a long while, building up the suspense. "I'm going to do the same to you.

And my heart fell out the bottom of my feet into the ground all the way down to the center of the Earth.

Then he pounced on me. I could feel time slowing down as I looked up at him from my vulnerable position on the floor. My last thought was,_ I really hope Tugger stays knocked out. This is going to be really hard to explain._

***(A/N: STAR!!!!!!)**But just before the landing, a blur of colored fur crashed into Macavity. The two crashed into the floor and crashed into the ground. Hard. I sat up, trying to clear my head. When I did, what I saw was almost unbelievable. Sephra was on top of Macavity, trying to wring his neck. But as I watched, Macavity overpowered her and threw her into the wall. She slid down, clutching her ribs. For a brief second, I felt worried about my former best friend's pain, but then I remembered that she had just tried to kill me and the worry disappeared.

Macavity walked over to Sephra and pulled her up by her collar**(A/N: Yeah, they're wearing collars.)**. She glared at him and yelled,

"You BACKSTABBER!!! How could you just knock me out like that just to fulfill your perverted intentions with my worst enemy, huh?!?!!" Macavity raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so you were awake…it seems giving you some of my magic made you slightly resistant to it…I'll have to remember that."

Sephra growled and unsuccessfully tried to scratch his eyes out. Macavity threw her to the ground and snapped his fingers. Somehow, I _still_ don't know how, he activated some kind of contraption in the floor that opened a huge crack. Well, not really a crack more than… a break. A huge break in the floor, at least ten feet wide. It must have been mechanically activated, because it was making creaking sounds

"Have a good trip." Then he threw her in. Even long after she fell down, I could hear her desperate yell. Then, it stopped. Whether it faded away or…the alternative, I have no clue.

I stared, open-mouthed, at the crack in which Sephra had disappeared. She was gone. Dead. For a long while, my mind was blank. As much as I hated her, Stephie was still my first best friend. For her to be gone… I could feel the anger welling up in me. Macavity had taken away two of my best friends now, not counting Tugger. Now… Now… I _could not forgive him._

Not that I had intended to at first.

Macavity turned toward me, a smirk on his face. "Now…where were we again?"

I jumped up and ran toward him, fully prepared to destroy his internal organs. My claws were unsheathed, my teeth were bared, and my eyes were wild. By all definitions, I was being a total Pollicle. Luckily, he was taken by surprise and didn't have time to prepare himself. I knocked him down and managed to inflict two deep scratches on his face before he regained his senses. He grabbed my paws and forced me off him. Then he began to give me the same treatment Sephra had gotten. Knocking me into the wall and holding me by the collar, he growled,

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I'm in a bad mood, and people who offend me while I'm in a bad mood usually end up losing a couple of limbs." He unsheathed his claws.

But before he could inflict any actual damage, a loud commotion could be heard on the other side of the entrance. Six slightly battered up Jellicle toms came rushing in. My rescue team.

All at once, they cried, "BOMBIE!!!!!" Misto sent a blue lighting bolt toward Macavity. It hit him square in the chest and knocked him back a full fifteen feet. Alonzo and Pouncival ran toward me, Munkustrap and Tumble ran toward Tugger, and the magical duo occupied themselves with keeping Macavity at bay. Alonzo bent down and gave me a once-over. Pounce, who was less professional, ran around all over the place, pulling his fur out and yelling about how I was going to die. Munkustrap, annoyed, stood up and forced him to calm down with a couple slaps and at least one hiss. Pounce, still slightly panicked, tried to "care" for me, only managing to annoy me. I sat up, ignoring his worried calls.

I looked at Alonzo. "You guys defeated all the henchrats?"

"Yup."

"Even the big one?"

"Our path converged into yours. We just managed to knock him out with the help of more than one metal bar."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Good." Then we saw Corico and Misto fly right past us and into the wall. Macavity was standing, paws buzzing with magical currents. He said nothing, we said nothing. Then he calmly raised a paw, no doubt preparing to kill us all. But before he could, we heard loud noises from the entrance.

"Where are they??!"

"I don't know!! Keep looking!!"

"This way!! We haven't checked here yet!!" The sound of footsteps running toward our direction filled our ears. Macavity's eyes widened as he looked at us accusingly. Still without a word, he disappeared in a puff of red smoke, leaving nothing but a piece of paper to waft slowly down to the floor.

Then a wide assortment of Jellicles ran in. Jelly, Jenny, Cassandra, Exotica, Asparagus, Skimble, and Tantomile. Macavity had known that there was no way he could have defeated all of us, so he fled. I had no clue how they knew we were here, but I was glad. Of course, this meant that I was probably gonna get an hour-long lecture from the oldies about sneaking out. But for now, they seemed to be happy that we were still alive. They ran in, and we all had a happy reunion. When no one was looking, I went over and picked up the piece of paper that Macavity had left. I would have to read it later, with Dem.

I cried out, remembering Demeter, most likely mentally and physically traumatized by now. Before anyone could stop me, I ran out, crying her name. How was I ever supposed to find her in this huge warehouse? As I ran, tears started to run down my face. What if I never found her? What if she was hurt? What if she was…dead?

I became aware of a burning pain in my lungs. I had ran so far. Exhausted, I leaned against a random door and tried to catch my breath. Then, to my greatest surprise, I heard a weak sobbing sound from inside the door. It sounded like…

Dem?

I kicked the door open, my mind in a haze. But it all cleared up when I saw her, leaning in a corner. It broke my heart, seeing her like that. She was crying. I could see several wet spots on the floor that had doubtlessly been caused by her tears. I was so scared. I couldn't believe that this weak, little creature was Dem. It scared me beyond all reason to think that it was. It scared me more than Macavity. The fact that she could have turned from a beautiful queen to such a sobbing, helpless creature in such a short time…

I took a tentative step. In a voice that I almost could not believe was my own, I whispered,

"D-Dem?"

She looked up, and we both broke down in tears. Whether they were of relief or sadness, or guilt, I don't know.

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**GAHHH FINALLY FINISHEDDDDD :D**

**I HAD THE WORST CASE OF WRITER'S BLOCK WITH THIS THING GAHHHHH**

**But I wanted it to be PERFECT. This chapter's the second to the last, the last being the epilogue. I'll try not to drag it out too much, but it'll be hard. This thing has so much loose ends GAHHHH**

**R&R!!!!! ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

**And the story ends……….**

**Epilogue**

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That day…no, that _week_ was filled with tears. Everyone's tears at Demeter being back, Munku and Old Deuteronomy's tears at Tugger being okay, Demeter's tears whenever she remembered whatever Macavity had done to her, my tears that would start coming out automatically whenever her tears came out, and, of course, my tears at getting Demeter back. It felt like the tears would never stop, but eventually, they did.

Demeter's life has completely changed. I never really learned what happened during the time she was gone, but it affected her more than anything should. Her usual shy and quietness had turned into nervousness and pure fear. She was skittish and jumped at every sound. Many nights, I would come home late and find her crying. On the rare occasion that she wasn't crying and was actually sleeping, I could find dried tears on the corners of her eyes. But the worst part was that constant feeling of guilt in my heart, because I knew that this was all my fault. No one ever tells me that, of course. But I know. If I hadn't fallen for Sephra's trap and left Demeter, she wouldn't have been taken away. But that's the past. All I can do now is to do whatever I can to comfort Demeter.

But Demeter's life isn't the only thing that's changed. Everything has. I sometimes find myself lying in bed at night, wondering if this is really my life. I mean, come on! I'm dating _Tugger_. He's been my friend since I first came to the Tribe. Seriously, our relationship is so awkward right now. But I really like him and I hope someday we'll be more accustomed to the idea of "being together".

Maybe.

_Juuuust_ maybe.

Our Tribe has changed too. Demeter and Munkustrap, much to the delight of practically everyone in the Tribe, finally got together. Demeter is now four months pregnant with a daughter, who she plans to name Jemima. I personally suggested that she name it Bombalurina jr., but noooo, it had to be Jemima. She'll regret it someday.

We also got a couple more rats to use for guards. Old Deuteronomy increased the security to completely ensure that no more abductions would happen. I, for one, have had enough Hidden Paws for one lifetime and greatly appreciated the bumped-up security.

That note that Macavity had left for me turned out to be blank, save for one sentence. It was messy and looked like it had been scribbled on in a rush. But the penmanship did nothing to lighten the message. The sentence was,

_I'll be back._

Cheesy, huh?

I decided that this wasn't even worth reporting to Munku or Old D. No one had to know, anyway. This was between Macavity and me.

And that was how, one day long after the kidnapping, Demeter and I ended up sitting on the side of a mountain of garbage, watching the sunset. Her head was on my shoulder, my head on top of hers.

We were silent, both lost in their own thoughts. Finally, she spoke up.

"Bombie?"

"Hmm?"

"She's dead, isn't she?" It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Yes." I didn't even have to ask who.

"Oh."

"Why?"

"I was just wondering…"

"What?"

"Hmm… remember when we were little, and Jenny and Jelly sang us a song about Firefrorefiddle?"

"Yeah."

"Well, why don't we do that?"

I looked at her. "A song about Firefrorefiddle? He's dead, Dem. Nothing but a myth now, especially to the kits."

"I know that!" She lightly smacked my on the arm. "I meant a song about a current threat, you know what I mean?"

I thought about it, slightly confused. Then it clicked. "You want to make a song about Macavity?"

"Yes! And we could use it to teach all the kits about him!!"

"…It would help… They do need to know, and it _would_ be easier to teach them through song…"

"Exactly! We could put in his nicknames and everything!"

"But… we would need a dance, too. Unless you want to make it a ballad, which would be kinda weird for a song about Macavity."

"Hmm…you're right." For a second, she looked down, defeated. Then she suddenly gasped and jumped up like she had just had a epiphany. With bright eyes, she turned toward me. "I know what we should do for the dance."

"Well, spit it out!"

"Think about it. What is one thing you always think about when you think about Macavity?"

"Evil? Rats? Magic?" She shook her head at every suggestion.

"No! I'm talking about his sidekick!"

"Sidekick? You mean… Sephra?!"

"Yes! Remember her signature dance?"

It suddenly dawned on me. I got up and gaped at her, face slowly stretching into a smile. Then I smacked her on the head.

"Oww!! What was that for??!"

"For being so vague! Why couldn't you just say Sephra?!"

"It's no fun that way! Anyway, we're getting off topic! What do you think? Let's use her signature dance for the choreography!"

I sat back down. She followed. "Okay, we have to idea and the choreography. Now what about the tune?"

"What about…" She thought for a moment. Then she lightly hummed a tune. It sounded mysterious and haunting, kinda like dark jazz or something.

I turned over it in my head, trying to come up with other tunes that could fit with it. But something was wrong. There were a couple notes that didn't fit. I analyzed them, tapping into my natural feline music sense. I hummed the tune again, with the revised notes. Demeter listened, crinkling her brow.

"Better… but what about this?" She re-hummed the tune, replacing one of my revised notes for another one.

"Perfect." I held my hand up for a high-five, which she gladly gave. "Now let's come up with lyrics. The beginning has to catch people's attention, you know."

"I know. Let's try…… _Macavity's a mystery cat_." She lightly sang.

"That's good! And the next line could be…"

That night was spent making our new song. We brainstormed, revised, re-revised, re-_re_-revised, and finalized until the wee hours of the morning. We both knew that we could have easily just held it off until morning, but neither of us wanted to. We were afraid that our creative energy would all run out.

Finally, we presented the song to Old Deuteronomy and requested to sing it for the kits. He agreed. But we didn't actually get an opportunity to do so until one Jellicle Ball when Macavity attacked us and tried to steal Demeter again.

But that's another story for another time. And not the only story. So many stories to tell. But I'm afraid this one… is over.

~END~

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**Lmao yes I know the end was a dramatic fail. But hey, at least I tried, hmm??**

**Anyway, thank you all for reading my fic, even through the fail romance scenes and the long, boring monologues that seem to pop up everywhere. I really appreciate it and I hope you'll continue to support me in any other fics I decide to write!**

**R&R!!!! Or forever wish you had D:**


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